Eliminating the Shadows
by dark faerie2
Summary: Hitomi's team kills shadows for a living. They recieve a letter telling them to exterminate some shadows in Fanelia. What happens when Van decides to aid them? H/V
1. Default Chapter

-Eliminating the Shadows-  
-Prologue -  
  
The blade sliced the air upward. Then, with a swift motion, it sliced downward, and then to the left, to the right, then it stopped. The person holding the katana wiped her brow with her free hand. She closed her eyes, inhaled through the nose, and exhaled though the mouth.  
  
She did this for three times and then opened her eyes. She put the katana back to its scabbard that was placed to the left of her hip and was held by a green sash. She walked to a bench and sat down. She looked at the bright blue sky.  
  
Everything seemed so peaceful. There were no wars, no battles, no screaming of the innocents, no unwanted fires, and no bloodshed. Everything was peaceful, until they came. They weren't humans. They had sharp claws that can scratch through anything. They had accursed pointed teeth that can rip flesh, blue colored skin that changed colors according to their surroundings. Long silver hair that seemed alive whenever they moved, and blood red eyes that haunt people's souls. They were called the shadows.  
  
They started to slaughter innocent people and burned villages to the ground. Men, women, or children, it didn't matter to them as long as they can taste the blood of the innocents.  
  
Nations worked together to slay the dreaded beasts, but even with all that power, all they could do was defend themselves from the attacks. That's when warriors came. They were able to defeat hordes of the shadows with their strange weapons.  
  
Soon, the shadows were losing. They fled to a land located in the south and were never seen again. The warriors that defeated the shadows started to build villages just in case their enemy decided to come back. Because of their skills and bravery, they became well known through out Gaea.  
  
Peace ruled for ten years until the shadows started to appear once more. The battle for survival started again. The battle that would decide the fate of humankind. It was later to be called the War of the Forbidden Shadows.  
  
The war continued for years. Children that were born in that era were raised to become warriors and soldiers to fight the shadows.  
  
The woman with long sandy brown hair closed her emerald eyes and listened to the song of nature. She was born in this era of destruction.  
  
So what do you guys think? Do you think I should continue it or not? R and R please. 


	2. Letter of Destiny

Ryuu Angel-don't worry, Van will come in soon. Dilandau-is-my-boyfriend-I can't remember which one I asked you to read. Anyway, try reading the A Blessing From the Sky by dark faerie. Don't worry about the chapters being short. The first one was just an intro. MysticalDreamer-Really? I guess it does kinda sound like Inuyasha and ff10 now that you think about it. I don't know Kingdom Hearts though. Little fairy-thanks! I'll continue this fic! Yugismpuzzle-don't worry, I'm gonna continue my first fic. This one just kept nagging at my head saying 'free me' over and over.  
  
-Chapter One: A Letter of Destiny-  
  
The woman opened her eyes and looked around the quiet field. She stood up and resumed her training.  
  
About one hour had passed since she resumed her training. Her clothes were wet and she was panting like there was no tomorrow. She stopped swinging her weapon and listened to her surroundings. She heard footsteps. She looked at where the sound was coming from and spotted a young man, possibly six years younger than her, running towards her. He stopped in front of the woman and looked at her green eyes.  
  
He had the same green eyes but his hair was a little lighter. He wore a loose blue shirt, brown pants and brown boots. He had something that looked like a big shuriken on his right arm. In addition, a dagger was located on his left hip.  
  
He too was born in this era. It's such a shame that children are forced to become soldiers at such an early age.  
  
"Sis, Dad wants to have a meeting with the Seven Shadow Warriors," the boy spoke.  
  
The woman merely nodded and kissed the boy on the cheek. She then ran back to the village.  
  
When she arrived, she saw a woman with short black hair and black eyes standing by the gate. She was wearing a brown shirt, black pants, and brown sandals. She had two swords resting on her back. Her name was Ellie Lonestar. Ellie was one of the best shadow hunters in the village. She was recently promoted as the vice captain of the Seven Shadow Warriors. She had knowledge of various healing herbs and thus she was also the medic of the group. A free spirited and kind woman, she never gives up and is always up for a challenge. Ellie and the woman with green eyes are close friends. Sometimes, they even spar with each other. In every spar they did, Ellie always lost to her friend but that never stopped her from trying to beat the woman with green eyes. The two met when they were assigned to the same team. When they made eye contact, they immediately understood each other though they were really the exact opposite of each other.  
  
Ellie waved at her approaching friend. Her friend didn't wave back instead, she just smiled. Ellie looked at the sweat-covered woman.  
  
"You always train."  
  
"You always think about weapons."  
  
"Got me there."  
  
"Hehe."  
  
"Anyway, the chief wants to see us all."  
  
"Let's go then."  
  
"You're going there like that?"  
  
"No way! I'm going to change first!"  
  
"I'll meet you there later."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
With that, Ellie and her friend made their way to the meeting place. Before Ellie could open the door that led to the meeting room, her friend had already disappeared. Ellie didn't seem to be bothered by this and just proceeded to enter the room.  
  
When she stepped inside, she noticed that three of the Seven Shadow Warriors were there waiting. There was Luc, Phade, and Castor.  
  
Luc Windhawk was sitting on the left side of the round table. He has dark brown hair and ocean blue eyes. He is wearing a blue shirt and black pants with dark brown boots. He wasn't wearing his armor at the moment, which made Ellie see his well-defined abs. Master of projectile weapons, give him a crossbow and he'll remodel it into a more powerful one. His only weakness is that he isn't good at close combat. But who needs it when your enemies would all be dead before they even got close to you?  
  
On the other side of the table, directly in front Luc sat Castor Lirich. Dark skin, brown eyes. He was wearing a brown shirt, brown pants, and long black boots. The oldest of the seven and the father of the group. Whenever one of the members needs someone to talk to, he is always available. His specialty is wielding a heavy blade. Though not very fast, he is very powerful. One swing from his blade and the enemy is immediately cut into two.  
  
Then there was Phade Astrol, sitting quietly by the corner of the table. He is wearing a green shirt with black pants and black boots. He doesn't wear any armor because of its weight, he had said that before when Luc asked him why he wasn't wearing his armor. Just as his name says, he can fade right in front of you and can reappear at your back. Magic? No. It is more of a hypnotizing technique. One only he and the leader of the group knew how to use this technique. It was one of the things they had in common. There was always something about their eyes that were mysterious. Even Ellie couldn't tell what. His master weapon is the dagger. It's lightweight and he can carry many of them. He usually carries ten up to fifteen daggers during a mission. If not in a mission, he just carries five.  
  
Ellie sat at one end of the table and waited quietly for the others to come. They were not allowed to make noise in the meeting room. This was due to the fact that the meeting room was in the chief's house. The chief's house had to be quiet because this was also the place where people can meditate and relinquish their thoughts even just for a little while.  
  
Seconds later, two persons walked in the meeting room and occupied two of the empty chairs. They were of the opposite sex. Hayden and Tio, the Mare siblings.  
  
Hayden had long dark blue hair, which was until his younger sister, Tio, suggested that he cut it because it might get in the way of his fighting. Although he didn't like the idea, he had to admit that his sister was right. He is wearing a white shirt with a brown vest and brown pants. He and his sister shared the same color of eyes: golden brown. He is always protective when it came to his sister. His weapon of choice is a long sword. His fighting potential is quite impressive. Even more impressive is his teamwork with his sister.  
  
Tio sat quietly beside his older brother. She too has dark blue hair only it was slightly darker than her brother's. She was wearing a short yellow dress that had a sort of armor at the waistline, black short boots, and a blue scarf. She looked like a weakling but others knew well enough not to toy with her. Under that cute yellow dress, different small weapons were attached. Daggers, throwing knives, poison darts; you name it, though she usually only keeps three to four different kinds of weapons. Her favorite though, was the chain circles.  
The chain circles were two circle shaped blades with a long chain attached to them. It's usually used to capture an enemy. It's quite difficult to master one and she was one of the few who knew how to wield it.  
  
The only ones missing now were the leader and the chief.  
  
After a few moments, someone entered the room and sat beside Phade.  
  
It was the leader, Hitomi Kanzaki. She was wearing a black shirt, brown pants with a brown leather belt, and black colored boots. Her hair was tied in a ponytail. Besides Castor, people can also talk to Hitomi about their problems. She is the strongest of the seven and has amazing leadership skills (probably from her father). She has little knowledge about medicinal herbs but enough to keep an injured or poisoned person from dieing. Her weapon of choice is her trusty katana, her mini bombs, and poison darts. She keeps all her armaments close to her waist resulting in her to always wear a belt or a sash. She has a little brother that she cares deeply for. If possible, she does not want him to see any bloodshed but it seemed inevitable.  
  
Ellie smiled at her good friend.  
  
'Heh, she managed to look presentable and not get late.'  
  
After a few minutes of silence, the chief finally appeared. He was wearing brown pants, a leather belt, brown shirt, and long blue boots. Forty in age but twenty-five in fighting skills. He was the best in the village and was also one of the wisest. His experience made him see through enemy attacks. He had the same green eyes as the leader but his hair was blonde and already had streaks of white. Around his neck hanged a pink tear shaped stone. It was the proof of being the honorable chief.  
  
He sat at the place in front of the leader and looked at everyone in the room. He took a deep breath and looked at the leader. He gave her a letter with a crest on it.  
  
"Read it."  
  
The female leader nodded and opened the letter. She read the contents with ease. After a while, she gave the letter back to the chief. The chief took it and read it out loud.  
  
Dear Chief Lyon,  
  
We apologize for this intrusion of your training but we are in need of your assistance. It seems that three days ago, shadows have appeared in the West Dragon Forest. They are not ordinary shadows therefore, we require you to send some of your best warriors. Of course, you will be paid for your services. Thank you and may the Dragon God bless you.  
  
Your ally and friend,  
King Gau Fanel.  
  
After reading it, Chief Lyon folded the letter and put it back in its compartment. He looked at the six that had gathered. All had a look of thought.  
  
"What do you all make of this?" he asked the seven.  
  
"The king of Fanelia wants us to exterminate the shadows that are in his country but," Hayden answered.  
  
"Yes. There is more to this that meets the eye," the chief spoke.  
  
"Three days ago. it was the same day when we found out that shadows have appeared in the marsh. They were also not of the ordinary type," verbalized Luc.  
  
"It was also the same time that the other Shadow Hunter Villages sent warriors out different locations." Castor added.  
  
"In other words, the shadows are planning something big." Tio summarized.  
  
"Yes. That is correct. What do you all think they are planning?" The chief asked again.  
  
". I think that. they are waiting for all the best warriors to set out and then attack the villages with full force. Of course they may lose however, the damaged caused will be a great deal." The Hitomi answered.  
  
Everybody had his and her eyes on the leader now.  
  
"Exactly. That is why I had called you all here today. We cannot have the best warriors leave the village but we also cannot allow Fanelia to be ransacked with shadows. Therefore, I am ordering that you all split up. Who is going to stay here and who is going to Fanelia, I do not care, just do it. You will leave tomorrow and Hitomi, I want you to place your little brother in the team that is going to Fanelia. I want my son to experience battle so that he may be able to protect himself if the time comes. That is all, dismissed," The chief ordered.  
  
With that done, he left the meeting room. Everyone stayed behind and all was visited by a haunting silence.  
  
". Ellie, Tio, Hayden, and Phade, you three are going to stay here and guard the village and will be group A. The rest will be group B and come with me to Fanelia." Hitomi ordered.  
  
All nodded and were still silent. Hitomi looked at the letter on the table. She took it and looked at the crest. She closed her eyes and seemed to be concentrating. When she opened them, there was a spark that wasn't there before.  
  
"Group B, please start preparing, we leave tomorrow at dawn. Meet at the front gate. It will take us about three days to get to Fanelia. Ellie will be in charge of group A. Do a good job in guarding the village; I want to see it standing when group B gets back. That is all, dismissed," Hitomi ordered once again and went outside the room.  
  
The five remaining slowly got up and left the room as well. They quietly made their way out of the chief's house. When they were out, Tio started stretching.  
  
"Man, how could Hitomi stand all that formal stuff so long?" Tio asked.  
  
"It's her job, Tio. I'm just glad that I'm the vise because I can't reach the expectations that the chief wants to meet." Ellie answered.  
  
"Guys, have you ever wondered why Hitomi chose Castor and Luc to go with her instead of us?" Hayden asked.  
  
". Probably because of the balance of the team. Tio has long range and I have long range. Ellie is the leader of group A and Hitomi is the leader of group B. Castor and Hayden both are experienced with close combat. Phade stays at the village because of his long-range attacks as well and we all know that Hitomi has long ranged assaults as well. So, it's really a well balanced team." Luc answered.  
  
"Wait, why didn't Hitomi just stay in the village if she was worried about it? Why let Ellie stay here?" Tio asked again.  
  
"You make it sound like you don't want me here," Ellie replied.  
  
Tio just smiled and shook her head.  
  
"Anyway, it's probably because of her little brother. She probably wants to be close to him in order to protect him," Castor answered this time.  
  
"Aaaaand once again! Hitomi has proven what a good leader she is! Give her a hand for she is descending from her home and coming towards us!" Hayden merrily spoke.  
  
When Hitomi reached the group, they all started clapping and cheering. Hitomi was surprised at their actions and made a questioning face.  
  
"What's this all about?"  
  
"We were just cheering at how a good leader you are." Castor answered.  
  
"Cut it out. You people are lucky you aren't the leader. So much stress!" Hitomi complained.  
  
"But you are doing a good job you know?" Luc praised.  
  
"True, so true," Hitomi nodded resulted in her tickled by Ellie.  
  
"I'm doin' a good job too you know!"  
  
"Haha! All right! All right! You're doing a good job too!" Hitomi answered while laughing.  
  
With that, Ellie stopped tormenting her leader. Suddenly air became serious.  
  
"Ahem! Anyway, I want you all to be prepared alright?"  
  
"Roger!" All of them answered.  
  
After the informal meeting, they all split up in order to get ready for the busy day ahead of them. Hitomi was left all alone in front of the chief's house, which was her home. She couldn't shake the foreboding feeling from her and worst of all, she had been ordered to take her little brother along. She didn't know what has gotten into her father. They both had decided that it would be best if Mamouro, her little brother, not encounter as many battles as she did. They wanted him to live a peaceful life away from chaos but still to be able to protect himself. They didn't want him to live a life full of battles like they do.  
  
She sighed. She wouldn't be able to figure this out no matter how hard she tried. After all, her level of thinking was different from that of her father's. Just thinking about it made her totally agree. He had more experience than she and he was better at battle skills.  
  
She cleared her mind of all thoughts and just decided to prepare for the long journey and to find her little brother in order to tell him of the news. 


	3. Seperated Fate

Dusk-angel-Well thank you!( Night of the Raven-thanks for the review. All right then, here's chapter two Ryuu Angel-Heehee( Weapons' explanations are one of my specialties. MysticalDreamer-Sorry about that. I already revised chapter one. Anyway, this chapter doesn't have any mistakes. I hope. Night_sting- sorry about that. It's just that, whenever I call, your phone's always busy!  
  
Eliminating the Shadows  
  
Chapter two: Separated Fates  
  
Chief Lyon looked outside his window. It was quiet in the Shadow Hunter's Village that night. Everybody was asleep except for the unusual number of guards that were on duty. The guards included two of the Seven Shadow Hunters: Tio and Phade.  
  
He spotted the two patrolling the village in silence. They were listening to any inhumanly sounds coming form the forest. So far, nothing. That was a good sign.  
  
Since the Seven Shadow Warriors have separated, the whole village had been alert. Even more since the announcement was made about the shadow's activities this morning.  
  
The chief had gathered all the warriors in front of his home. Slowly, the chief came out and looked at the warriors that had gathered before him. Four were missing. Those four had already left for Fanelia and that party included his daughter and son.  
  
"I'm sorry to have caused you all trouble but I have some news," the chief stopped.  
  
All the fighters were now quiet and were awaiting the news their chief was about to give them. It seemed very important since announcements like this weren't made very often. If they were, it always included bad news.  
  
"It seems that the shadows are planning something. We are still unsure of what they are planning but we have come to terms that they, most likely, would want this village burned to the ground," He stopped again.  
  
There were murmurs among the crowd. The chief raised his hand all were quiet once again.  
  
" As you all know, we have the Seven Shadow Warriors with us however, there are only four of them, in the village at the present time," He topped again and looked to the left.  
  
Ellie, Tio, Hayden, and Phade walked up front.  
  
" Therefore, I want all of you to be fully alert. Place more guards to patrol during the night. I want you all to train harder because a great battle might not be far off. Let us all hope that it will not come to that. That is all, resume your training."  
  
With that, he went back inside the house leaving the bewildered warriors outside.  
  
He sighed. He remembered the look on his daughter's eyes when he ordered her to bring her brother along. She was shocked, he guessed and she should be. They had both agreed that they would not expose Mamouro to as much bloodshed as they can.  
  
There was an explanation as to why he had ordered her to expose her little brother to battle. That was because he wanted his son to be bale to protect himself when the time comes. Well, at least that was one of the reasons.  
He sighed again. He knew, he knew that that time would not be far off. It would come in a few weeks. He could feel it, which was one of the many abilities he had. He can sense the future. Inside, he secretly wondered if his daughter had inherited his ability if not, did she inherit his 'other' talent?  
  
He looked at the twin moons. They were quite eerie that night. He closed his eyes and went to bed. Tomorrow was another day.  
  
Four horses were galloping through the mountainous region. One was white with a black spot at its forehead, two were black with spots of white, while the other one was brownish red with a little of white. Riding the horses were Hitomi, Castor, Luc and Mamouro.  
  
Hitomi looked at the sky, it was getting dark. They had left the village at dawn and had been riding since. She knew that her companions were all tired. They would pass a small clearing if her memory was correct and it was. There, a little ways ahead of them was a small clearing.  
  
When they arrived at the clearing, she signaled her companions to stop. She climbed off her white steed and tied it at one of the trees. The others followed her example.  
  
"Let's rest here for tonight. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," Hitomi spoke while she was feeding her horse some water and a carrot.  
  
The others nodded and started getting ready for the night. Mamouro and Castor left the clearing in order to gather firewood, while Luc was left with Hitomi to prepare the food.  
  
"You know what? I miss Hayden's bickering," Luc started.  
  
This caused Hitomi to chuckle.  
  
"I know what you mean. It's just so quiet without the whole gang."  
  
"We were never separated."  
  
"Well, this one's an exception. Someone needs to guard our home."  
  
"Yeah. I want to see it standing when I get back."  
  
"Y'know. you're a big brother that I never had."  
  
"That's because I'm three years older than you."  
  
"Eeeeewww. You're ooooooolllllddd," Hitomi teased.  
  
This caused her a pillow in the face.  
  
"Hey! A pillow! Sorry Luc! Finders keepers, losers weepers!"  
  
"Give me back my pillow! I'm the one who brought it!"  
  
"You can have mine! Though it's not as soft."  
  
" You little-"  
  
"Tsk tsk! Watch your language! Mamouro is here."  
  
Luc mumbled something under his breath like how could I have fallen for that and this is fifth time she did this to me.  
  
Hitomi giggled. 'This is the fifth time he's fallen for this trick,' she thought. Luc was a little sensitive about his age after all; he was second to the oldest even though Castor was six years older than him. They all looked up to him like a big brother.  
  
After a while, Mamouro and Castor came back. Hitomi had a happy expression on her face while Luc had a scowl on. Seeing the look on their faces, Castor just had to laugh. He knew what this was about.  
  
"Did it to you again huh?" Castor asked while smiling.  
  
"What do you know?"  
  
"More than what you know."  
  
"Why is everybody picking on me today?"  
  
This caused Hitomi to laugh out loud.  
  
"Anyway, I'll volunteer to cook. After we eat, I want everyone to sleep, we've got a long day ahead of us," Hitomi ordered while preparing the fire.  
  
The next day, the female leader was the first to wake up. She looked at her fellow warriors. She sighed. It just wasn't the same. Usually, Phade would be the first one to wake up. They would train together using their hypnotism technique until it was time to wake everybody.  
  
She shook her head in order to get the sleepiness out of her. She stood up and stretched. She got some of her things on her horse and started to do her morning necessities.  
  
When she was done, she started to do some morning stretches. Unfortunately, the noise she was making was enough for Mamouro to wake up. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. He looked at the direction of the noise.  
  
"Good morning Mamouro."  
  
"Sis?"  
  
"You better do your morning necessities. You won't have time later."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Obeying his older sister's order, he searched his bag and started to do what his sister did. When he finished, he started imitating what his sister was doing. They were silent for a while until Mamouro spoke up.  
  
"Sis?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Why do think dad sent me with you?"  
  
"I. don't really know Mamouro. I tried to ask him but he was just too busy to entertain his daughter."  
  
"Are you mad at him?"  
  
"No. not really. I know that he's doing this for a good reason."  
  
"I know, it's just that it's my first battle and. "  
  
"I won't let anything happern to you."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
". It's time to wake the others up."  
  
Hitomi walked off to Luc and started shaking him while Mamouro copied her with Castor. When they wouldn't wake up, Hitomi crossed her arms, took a deep breath, and held it.  
  
"GET UP YOU LAZY BUMS!!!!"  
  
Immediately, Castor and Luc were wide-awake.  
  
After they were all awake, they started to pack up their things. Everyone was doing different things at the same time. Luc was making sure they didn't forget anything. Mamouro was feeding the horses. Castor was cleaning his weapon and Hitomi was making sure that she had not forgotten any of her weapons.  
  
When they were done with their safety precautions, they set off towards Fanelia once more.  
  
Everyone was silent. They all knew the seriousness of the matter. They had to get back to the base as soon as they can. For them to do that, they had to get to Fanelia as fast as they can and exterminate the shadows there.  
  
They didn't stop to rest like they usually did. Before they knew it, they could already see Fanelia's gates. They had arrived at their destination much earlier than they had expected. They had spared one day.  
  
The four warriors entered the gates and headed towards the inn. No one was on the streets. Maybe because it was already dark. Maybe because of the thieves who thrive at night or maybe it was because of the closeness of the shadows.  
  
They arrived at the inn. Hitomi ordered Luc and Castor to wait outside in order to guard their belongings while she and Mamouro inquire with the inn keeper for some rooms.  
  
When Hitomi and Mamouro walked in, all eyes were immediately placed on them. Mamouro was a bit startled but Hitomi didn't seem to notice. Hitomi walked towards the innkeeper and started to ask if there were rooms still available.  
  
"There are only two rooms available." He answered while eying her katana.  
  
"I'll take them both."  
  
"Sure. Enjoy your stay and please don't cause any trouble."  
  
After that, Hitomi and Mamouro went outside to tell Luc and Castor the news.  
  
"We have to share room?" Luc asked.  
  
"That's right. We can't go to the palace now. Let's try tomorrow. So, Castor and Luc, you two share a room while Mamouro and I can sleep in the other room."  
  
After the discussion, they headed for the stables. After they took care of their horses, they took their bags and went inside to settle in.  
  
Tomorrow, they would go and see the king. If all goes well, they can start exterminating the shadows at the same day.  
  
How was that? Sorry if it's not that eventful, but I promise that the next chapter will be something. Oh yeah! Sorry if there are any mistakes in this chapter. Oh well, same as always. Just tell me if there are and I will gladly revise it. Thank you! 


	4. Unexpected Request

MysticalDreamer32- I can't answer your questions because it will give away the story. So. sorry.  
  
Yugismpuzzle-Don't worry! I won't forget the "A Blessing From the Sky"  
  
Night of the Raven- Uhhh. errr. hehehe..  
  
Ryuu Angel- Whoops! Sorry about the bale thing! I often make that mistake when typing!  
  
Hitomi21- heehee! Thank you!  
  
Alright! I just wanted to announce that I have just gotten and editor and it is Yugismpuzzle. Oh yeah! I expect night_sting to review once in a while and get the truth and dare thing over with! I know you're out there somewhere so don't even try and not review! Remember, I know where you live. Be afraid! Be very afraid! Oh well, you know what happens when I am hyper!  
  
All righty! On with the story!  
  
Eliminating the Shadows  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own escaflowne  
  
Chapter three: Unexpected Request  
  
Hitomi was already stretching her muscles when the sun met the world.  
  
She had been up quite early this morning and had been stretching since. She had always been the early bird of the group. However, this time, it was because of one peculiar dream.  
There she was, in the dark, when one pair of golden yellow eyes stared at her. She had never seen eyes like those before. It seemed as if they were a mix of animal and man.  
Then, the view became white but before she could see anything, she woke up. And that's how she ended up as being the very early bird today.  
  
The sun peaked in Hitomi's room.  
  
She stopped stretching and woke Mamouro up. He slowly opened his eyes only to meet her sister's smiling face.  
  
"Get up sleepy head. We've got work to do."  
  
"I'm up, I'm up."  
  
Hitomi smiled at her brother's answer. It was proof that he still wanted to sleep. It was probably because of the two days they had traveled. They only stopped to rest at night so it was reasonable that he would want to sleep more.  
  
When Hitomi was positive that he wouldn't go back to sleep, she went to the other room. She woke the other two sleepyheads in a very rough manner.  
At first, when she entered the room and saw the two sleeping figures she thought 'cute'. However, when they wouldn't wake up she thought 'REALLY cute!'  
  
That's when she went downstairs, got two glasses of cold drinking water, went back up the room and.  
  
Splash!  
  
Immediately, Castor and Luc were conscious.  
  
'VERY cute.' Hitomi thought when she went back to her own room.  
  
They all had their breakfast in a slow manner. None of them wanted to see the king because they were still tired. Well, all except Hitomi who already finished and was preparing her horse.  
  
When all of them were done with the morning traditions, Hitomi checked out of the inn and went outside. There, her team awaited her.  
  
She got on her horse and the others followed suit. After that, they immediately went toward the castle.  
  
When they arrived at the gates, five castle guards immediately greeted them. All of which had swords on their hip.  
  
"I'm sorry. The palace is closed to public due to problem with the shadows. Please turn back immediately."  
  
Hitomi got of her horse and walked over to the guard who had just spoken.  
  
"We have a letter of invitation from the king himself. I believe you have been informed of our arrival."  
  
Hitomi said as she handed the letter sent to them by King Goau.  
  
The guard examined it. He looked at the seal and it was indeed Fanelian. He handed it back to Hitomi and nodded to the rest of the guards. One of the guards gave him an armored horse and he mounted it.  
  
"Please follow me."  
  
Hitomi nodded and mounted her horse once more. She followed the guard and her team followed her. After a while of playing follow the leader, they finally arrived at the main entrance.  
  
They got off their horses and entered the palace. However, before they could proceed any further, the guard stopped them.  
  
"For the purpose of protecting the royal family, we want you to remove all of your weapons. Please put them on the table over there."  
  
Hitomi looked at her group and nodded. They started to remove all of their weapons. They put all of them on the table as the guard instructed them to.  
  
The guard was surprised at what he saw. There on the table, were all sorts of weapons: daggers, a heavy blade, bombs, poison, and a huge shuriken. The list goes on and on.  
  
"Ahem."  
  
The guard snapped out of his bewilderment by Hitomi's voice. He looked at the king's guests only to find them already unarmed.  
  
"Uhh.please follow me," he said then he lead the way once more.  
  
The group followed the guard in silence. They passed many doors and guards giving them all strange looks.  
  
Luc and Castor assumed that it was because public was not allowed inside the castle now. Well, it's either that or they were checking they're leader out.  
  
"Can't blame them, my little sis is one hot babe," Luc whispered to Castor.  
  
"If only they knew her personality," Castor smirked.  
  
Hitomi turned around and face the two males. Her facial expression seemed to be that of playfulness.  
  
"I heard that!"  
  
Castor merely chuckled and Luc smiled.  
  
"C'mon princess, the king awaits," Luc said then dragged Hitomi before she and Castor could have a little verbal fight. They, weren't really mad at each other, it was just kind of like playing. When they have exhausted their vocabulary, they would just go together, drink some water, and then start over once more.  
  
They arrived in front of the doors that lead to the throne room with Hitomi being dragged by Luc and Castor smiling. The fates were on Castor's side today.  
  
When the doors to the throne room opened, they immediately straightened. Since Mamouro was a new comer, he was surprised that they were suddenly so serious.  
  
Hitomi noticed that her brother was getting confused. Why wouldn't he? He still didn't understand their rank and the rank of the royalties. After all, he was just twelve years old and ranks weren't taught to children until they came of the age of thirteen.  
  
Hitomi smiled at her brother and motioned him to be formal as well. Her little brother understood and became a little serious. Hitomi looked at the guard, he nodded and then introduced them.  
  
"Your majesty, the king, your guests have arrived."  
  
At once, all of the attention in the throne room was focused on Hitomi and her party.  
  
The king looked at the small team. He was wondering who they were. The palace was temporarily closed to the public. This was because of the trouble the shadows were causing. His advisers were also wondering about the same thing.  
  
Hitomi's eyes scanned the place. The room was enormous. It was much more beautiful than the throne room in Basram or the one in Asturia. Yes, she had been in those places, but it was always because of a mission.  
  
She sighed. She remembered them all. It seemed that everywhere she went, there was always fighting. It's not that she wasn't content in helping people, it's just that just once, she would like to go to a place where she didn't need to fight. But she couldn't. This was her job, no her life. And it was one of the things that she valued most.  
  
Hitomi walked and her group followed her. She stopped right before the stairs where the king and his throne were located. She kneeled down and so did her comrades.  
  
The king looked at them. He noted their strange clothes and the way their bodies were built. His eyes widened.  
  
They couldn't be could they? They couldn't be the warriors that he had asked Chief Lyon to send to him.  
  
"Rise."  
  
Hitomi and her group then rose and looked at the king.  
  
"Introduce yourselves."  
  
"Your majesty, I am Hitomi Kanzaki, the leader of the Seven Shadow Warriors. These are my companions, Luc Windhawk, Castor Lirich and Mamouro Kanzaki. We are the ones that Chief Lyon sent to exterminate the shadows here."  
  
The king's eyes widened more. He looked at the female leader. He couldn't believe his eyes. It had been so long ago that he had seen her. It was the time when he had invited Lyon and his family to come to the palace because there was a celebration. The celebration was about one of their sons' birthday. The chief had attended with his wife and his three-year-old daughter.  
  
That was how he had met Hitomi. He smiled. She had grown so much.  
  
"Hello Hitomi. It has been so long."  
  
"I beg your pardon?"  
  
"It figures you don't know me. It has already been fifteen years since I last saw you. You've grown."  
  
"?"  
  
"Anyway, let us move into the meeting room. There can be time for reunions later. Come."  
  
With that, he stood up and went to another door. The others followed suit and soon found themselves sitting on the chairs that surrounded a round table.  
  
There was silence among the group. Hitomi scanned the place with her green orbs. There were only three windows and each one had a guard beside it. Each guard had a thick armor on. Her eyes glazed over the door that lead in and out of the room. That too had a guard. All in all, the room is pretty much protected.  
  
Her eyes returned to the king. He was smiling at her. She put up a questioning face. But his smile only grew wider.  
  
"Anyway, as you all know, shadows have started appearing in the West Dragon Forest three days ago. We have tried to exterminate them but they were stronger than the usual shadows. That is why I have asked the aid of the shadow warriors though I never thought that Lyon would send his own daughter and son. Tell me, Lady Hitomi, what is going on in the Shadow Hunter Village to push Lyon to do this?"  
  
"Not that much. The village is just a little anxious about the sudden appearances of the shadows. And why he sent my brother and I along, I don't know. He wouldn't tell me the reason."  
  
"Well. if it's Lyon, then there must be a good reason."  
  
"Yes, I believe that too."  
  
"Anyway, Lady Hitomi, I want your team to leave tomorrow morning and eliminate the shadows that have appeared in the West Dragon Forest."  
  
"Of course, your majesty."  
  
When everybody was about to leave, the king asked the leader of the Seven Shadow Warriors to stay behind. Apparently, he had something he wanted to tell her.  
  
Hitomi looked at he group. She nodded and gave them a smile. They went out of the room and Hitomi was left with the king.  
  
There was silence for a while as the two stared at each other. One looking happy while the other one looked confused.  
  
"Lady Hitomi, I want one of my son to go with you on this mission."  
  
"I beg your pardon?"  
  
"Yes. I want one of my sons to go with you."  
  
"But your majesty, it's quite dangerous and-"  
  
"I know. I know it's dangerous but, I want him to experience battle."  
  
"But why your majesty?"  
  
"I don't know, I just feel like something is going to happen. I want Van to be able to handle the pressure when that time comes. So please, Lady Hitomi. Grant my request."  
  
". Very well, but I will treat him like my team. Being royalty is not an exception."  
  
" I understand. I'm sure that will help him too."  
  
"All right then, I will be going now. The time for our departure will be at dawn."  
  
With that, Hitomi left the room leaving the king behind. The king looked outside the window. He sighed. He hoped that he was doing the right thing.  
  
He shook his head no; he was doing the right thing. He was training his son so that he will be able to protect himself when the time comes. He closed his eyes. If what Lyon told him has true, then a war would not be far off. And his son was going to be one of the main characters in that play of death.  
  
How was that? Okay! I don't know if Van will be in the next chapter. The explanation on how Goau and Lyon became friends will be in the fifth or the fourth chapter. R and R please. 


	5. And They Meet

Niakal- thanks for telling me! I really appreciate it!  
  
hitomi21- Here we go! You'll get to see how the crew acts around Van!  
  
Eliminating The Shadows  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own escaflowne  
  
Chapter Four: Battle Positions Everyone!  
  
Hitomi was double-checking her armaments in her room in the castle. Luckily, King Goau had provided them all their own rooms. She stood up and looked outside the window.  
  
"About one hour till dawn. Better go wake them up."  
  
Hitomi went out and entered the room across hers. Inside she saw Mamouro sleeping on the bed. The pillows were all on the floor and the blanket wrapped around his small frame. His face had peace written all over it. Seeing him like this made her not want to wake him. However, they had a job to do and it would be a bad impression if they were late.  
  
So, she slowly made her way towards the bed. She looked at the little angel and smiled. No matter what, seeing her little brother like this always made her smile. She slowly shook him.  
  
His eyes slowly opened. At first, his vision was blurry but soon, it became normal. He saw his big sister's face. Mamouro sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked at his big sister again.  
  
"Get ready. We leave in an hour."  
  
Mamouro nodded and tried to unwrap himself from the clutches of his blanket. Hitomi chuckled as she watched Mamouro struggle. She shook her head and decided to wake Luc and Castor.  
  
She walked out of the room and passed three doors to the right. She knocked. When there was no answer, she knocked for a second time. Yet, again, there was no answer. Sighing in frustration, she banged on the door.  
  
"Luc! Wake up! We're leaving in an hour! If you're late, you know what your punishment will be and I swear it will be ten times worse than that!"  
  
Inside the room, ocean blue eyes suddenly revealed themselves in the darkness. He had heard his leader. He quickly sat up and did some stretching to wipe away the sleep he had left. As he did his stretching, he remembered the day when he was last late.  
  
"Your late," Hitomi growled.  
  
"I was only five minutes late," Luc tried to reason.  
  
"Five minutes? Did you ever think that within five minutes, a helpless civilian was being attacked by a shadow?"  
  
"No ma'am. "  
  
He knew better than to argue with Hitomi.  
  
" Did you ever think that within five minutes, a whole village would be packed with dead bodies because of an attack?"  
  
"No. ma'am "  
  
" Did you ever think that within the five minutes that you were late, your comrades would be fighting a losing battle because they didn't have your support?"  
  
". No, ma'am."  
  
"Think about that the next time you are late. When we get back, I want you to do five hundred push-ups and sit-ups. After that, you will run around the castle ten times. You are not allowed to have dinner. Is that understood?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
"Good. Let's move people!"  
  
Luc shuddered at the memory. He didn't want to go through that again.  
  
Hitomi is a good leader however; she is just strict when it comes to training and their missions.  
  
Luc sighed. Guess it can't be helped. She is going to be the next chief so she should show authority. He could tell that she is going to be a great chief.  
  
After he was done stretching, he stood up and went to the bathroom.  
  
Outside, Hitomi listened to the small amount of noise coming from Luc's room. She figured that he was already awake and was stretching. She paused for a while, deciding whether she should wake up Castor.  
  
Unlike the other two, when there is a mission, Castor wakes up early. Not as early as Hitomi though.  
  
"Just in case."  
  
Hitomi walked back seven doors to the left of Luc's room. She knocked. There was a brief pause but eventually, Castor opened it.  
  
"Oh! Good morning Hitomi! What do you want?"  
  
"We're leaving in an hour. Could you tell Luc and Mamouro that I'll be waiting in the castle gates? I forgot to tell them. I assume that you already know that you are to prepare your own steeds."  
  
"Yes, of course."  
  
"Also, could you order a page to tell the prince that- "  
  
"We'll be assembling at the castle gates. I've got it."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"No problem."  
  
With that, Hitomi went back to her room and started to pack all the necessities she needed in order to survive. She slung the bag on her shoulder and walked towards the stable.  
  
After a while of walking in silence, she arrived at the stable. She entered and she looked for her horse. She spotted her white steed. She approached it and it immediately recognized its master.  
  
Hitomi took some sort of green vegetable and fed her horse.  
  
"Good morning to you too, Luna." Hitomi greeted.  
  
After Luna was done eating, Hitomi started saddling her. When she was through, she mounted her white stallion and went toward the gate.  
  
After a while of riding, she spotted the castle gates. There she saw the outline of the guards. She also saw the silhouettes of two figures on horses. They seemed to be engrossed in a conversation.  
  
"Look. There's one of them now," A man with black brown hair spoke.  
  
"Is that a girl?" The other one asked as he squinted his eyes at the approaching guest.  
  
"Hmmm.. I've heard that the leader of the Seven Shadow Warriors was a female."  
  
"I can't believe they'd let a girl be the leader, much less a warrior."  
  
"Don't underestimate her, Lord Van. She became a leader for a reason."  
  
"I know, I know. I'm just not used to girls being able to fight."  
  
"Lord Van-"  
  
"I know, I know! I'll treat her with reverence."  
  
The female leader was approaching the gates when her comrades caught up with her. Soon, they too took notice of the two men on horses.  
  
Luc looked at his leader and was about to ask her a question when Castor spoke.  
  
" Those two must be the prince and his bodyguard."  
  
" Great. Just what we need, a prince who only thinks of himself," Luc spoke.  
  
"Let's not jump into conclusions. Maybe he's not bad," Hitomi encouraged.  
  
"Yeah right! Remember the last one?" Luc snorted.  
  
"You mean the Princess Fiona from Kirok?" Mamouro asked.  
  
"That's the one," Luc answered.  
  
"Luc!" Castor warned.  
  
"What?"  
  
Castor just looked at Hitomi. Hitomi cringed. Oh, she remembered all right. She remembered Fiona's nagging voice. She remembered Fiona's scream when she saw a shadow. She remembered how Fiona almost killed them all because of that scream. She remembered all the shadows coming towards them to stop the source of the noise. She remembered the pain when she got injured because she tried to save the princess.  
  
Hitomi looked at her shoulder. The injury still had not healed. She touched it.  
  
"AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!"  
  
"Watch out!!!" Hitomi shouted.  
  
Seeing that the princess didn't move, Hitomi just pushed the princess out of the way. She looked at the direction at which the shadow was going to attack. She saw it. She had little time to prepare for defense.  
  
The shadow aimed for Hitomi's stomach but she miraculously blocked it. Hitomi was about to finish the abominable thing when she felt searing pain coming from her shoulder.  
  
She cursed. She had forgotten about the opponents' other hand. Removing the excruciating pain from her mind, she cut the shadows' head off. The enemy dropped onto her and they both fell on the ground.  
  
" Ellie!!! Help Me!!!" Hitomi screamed.  
  
Ellie looked at where the scream for help came from. She saw Hitomi under a dead shadow. She immediately went to her fallen comrade. Ellie tried to remove the corpse but every time she moved it, Hitomi always doubled in pain.  
  
She looked at Hitomi. What she saw made her heart beat faster.  
  
Hitomi's face was pale and her blood was everywhere. She quickly scanned her friend for any injury.  
  
Her eyes wandered to Hitomi's shoulder. She saw that the shadow's huge claw had pierced her leader's right shoulder.  
  
"Tomi, I won't be able to get that claw out of your shoulder by myself. I need you to hang till I get some help."  
  
Hitomi shook her head no.  
  
"Get. the princess. out of here first. "  
  
"No! You're injured! Remember our rule? No one gets left behind! So I'm not leaving you for someone who doesn't need my help!"  
  
"Ellie. you. should get. the princess. to safety. That's your. main . priority."  
  
"Hang on Tomi! I'll get help. Hang . "  
  
That was all that Hitomi remembered before she fell unconscious. When she woke up, she was back at the palace in Kirok. Ellie was watching over her.  
  
Ellie had explained everything that had happened after she had blacked out. They had won.  
  
"Why did I lose consciousness? I handled pain worse than that."  
  
"Well, you see, you were also poisoned. Don't worry though, you're fine now."  
  
She sighed. She still remembered that. She still remembered the horror on the princess face when she saw her.  
  
The Princess Fiona had been traumatized and seeing Hitomi only made her remember the fear.  
  
She could still remember the princess's face when she looked at her. It was pure terror.  
  
"Hitomi, it wasn't your fault," Tio tried to reason.  
  
"No, it was my fault. If I hadn't accepted that order then this wouldn't have happened to her."  
  
"You had no choice. We had to take this mission and I'm sure you know why," Hayden spoke.  
  
She didn't say anything. She knew the price if she had declined. The lives of the civilians would be endangered if she had said no. Still, there was the guilt at the back of her mind. Knowing that she had caused the princess's trauma was enough for her to hate herself.  
  
That incident happened about two weeks ago. Up until now, she still cannot forgive herself.  
  
"Hitomi?"  
  
Hitomi was pulled back to reality by Mamouro's voice. She looked at her little brother. He had a concerned look on his face. She smiled.  
  
"I'm fine, Mamouro."  
  
Mamouro nodded and continued toward the castle gates.  
  
Finally, after about five minutes of silence, they arrived at the castle gates. The group stopped in front of the two men on the horses.  
  
The one on the left had armor on and black boots. On the left side of his hip, lay a long broad sword in its sheath. He had brown black hair and he had a scar on his right eye. The way he was looking at Hitomi made her a little uneasy but of course, she didn't show it. Despite that, she was getting a nice vibration from him (a feeling). He reminded her of her father. He always looked at her that way when they were in a meeting.  
  
" Good morning, Lady Hitomi. I am Balgus, a general, and the Prince Van's guardian. I am here to make sure that he gets home safely."  
  
Hitomi nodded. Her facial expression was unreadable. She looked at the other one. He had unruly raven hair and crimson eyes. He was wearing a red sleeveless top, tan pants, and brown boots. Hitomi pretended not to notice the irritation in his eyes.  
  
"I am Van Slanzar de Fanel, the second son of King Goau Fanel. I will be assisting you through this mission."  
  
Hitomi once again nodded.  
  
Luc looked at Van. He could already tell that he was a person who thinks he is superior. He shook his head.  
  
'This is going to be a long day . '  
  
How was that? Okay, Vanny's here now. You'll get to see more of him in the next chapter. 


	6. Author's Notes

Author's Note:  
  
Okay! I know that you all have been waiting for almost two months already and I still haven't posted any new chapters. Anyway, the thing is, is that the diskette where I put my stories is missing. Also, part of the reason why I didn't update was because I had some problems with my internet connection. But now that it's fixed, I'll be able to update again.  
  
I'm already working on the chapters of my stories. It's going to be hard but I'll manage now that it's already our break. I'll make it up to you all with the next chapter.  
  
Later! 


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